


Shock Therapy

by musicat56



Series: A Collection of my Feeble Attempts to Save Anakin Skywalker [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2020-10-12
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:15:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26933461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/musicat56/pseuds/musicat56
Summary: Darth Vader knew Dr. Nefir was a galactically known specialist in the field of chronic pain management.  He did not know about Dr. Nefir’s past work in the field of psychology, or his boyhood friendship with Bail Organa.  Or that he planned to try to kill him with electroconvulsive shock therapy that he claimed would help him.  And failing to kill him he would cause extensive memory loss and allow an old friend to right a wrong.
Relationships: Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker
Series: A Collection of my Feeble Attempts to Save Anakin Skywalker [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2155344
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16





	1. The shock

Aurora Medical Facility, Obroa-skai, 10 years, 2 days & 15 hours since the fall of the Republic

Dr. Nefir was not a man to lose his composure easily. He had after all, been lying through his teeth when he convinced Darth Vader that electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) was a cutting edge therapy used to treat nerve pain and not an antiquated, but still sometimes required, method for treating mental illness. Vader had not questioned him on it, had not done his own research and had not searched out a second opinion. Not surprising really. Vader did not strike him as the scholarly type, or the type who wasted time traipsing through medical facilities. The shabbily done prosthetics and life support system he wore were evidence of that. Dr. Nefir gambled that he wouldn’t do any research and won. Unfortunately the rest of his plan did not go to plan.

His objective had been simple. Convince Vader to do ECT. Then turn up the current to maximum, let his fingers slip and shock the man out of existence. No doubt his life would also be forfeit, but he planned to try and sell the lie that he had miscalculated the current required due to Vader’s antiquated metal prosthetics. He suspected the lie might not be detected simply because Vader’s Imperial underlings wouldn’t question their luck at no longer having to fear for their lives every time they went to work.

But Dr. Nefir had messed up. He hadn’t exactly killed Vader. The man had an uncanny resistance to electrical current that he had not anticipated. So what should have killed another man ten times over only knocked him unconscious for several minutes. Dr. Nefir had been checking for a pulse he expected not to fine when the man lurched and gasped for breath. And then Dr. Nefir had no choice but to resuscitate him. The orderly in the room and Vader’s trooper standing guard would not let him do otherwise. He supposed he could still engineer a medical error somewhere down the line. But then he removed the mask to connect Vader to their life support system. In doing so he was greeted by the scared blue eyes of a relatively young man. The depth of fear in those eyes reminded him of the abused woman he so often treated. Then the man spoke and instead of a staccato baritone there was an outer rim slur as he frantically asked about his friends before drifting back into unconsciousness.

Afterwards Dr. Nefir had stood in the room for a long time. An unsettle feeling went through his body. Perhaps Vader was a victim as well. A victim that perhaps could be saved.

*.*.*.*.*

Bail Organa knew Danok Nefir since they were children. He knew that he was the type of person that deployed to an outer rim territory needing urgent medical help due to a catastrophe while the threat was still active. He and Bail had often called on each other’s services through the years, both the type to run in and help when others were fleeing. So when Danok called him with a cryptic message that he needed his opinion and help with something he went without question. Now, under the pretence of visiting an old friend he sat on Danok’s cushioned sofa, holding a steaming cup of caf, waiting for his friend to reveal why he had called on him. 

His friend’s hesitation to get down to business left him worried about what it could be. He had never seen his friend look so uncertain, and he found himself waving his hand, gesturing for Danok to just spit it out. They were old friends afterall. He would understand and help whatever it was.

“Lord Vader sought out my services to help with his pain,” Danok whispered, and Bail felt his heart sink. He didn’t want to be involved with anything else to do with Vader. “I took the opportunity to try to kill him.”

Bail felt himself rocked by the admission. He knew his friend and this what not an action he would have taken on lightly. “Many have tried to kill him,” Bail replied at a loss for what else to say, “Not many survive though.”

Dr. Nefir nodded. “Yes, well. Are you familiar with ECT therapy?”

Bail felt this was a bit of an odd segue but humoring his friend he replied that he was aware it was a treatment for mental illness but did not realize it was still being used in the galaxy. He thought there were so many other better treatments.

“Yes, well not always. And definitely not if you are discretely trying to kill someone by electrocution. When Darth Vader sought out my help with his pain I thought perhaps I could do some good for the galaxy. Have a medical accident conveniently befall him before he could do anymore damage. But it did not go as I planned. I did not kill him. But the ECT has had some interesting side effects.”

Bail felt himself paling. What had his friend done? But Danok did not notice his discomfort, he was too engrossed in his own confession.

“I believe that he’s had extensive memory loss. The few times he’s been lucid enough to speak he seems to think he ended up in my medical bay after an accident in the clones wars. I think he might suspect I’m a separatist spy as he is very reticent to speak to me. A lot of what I have gathered comes from his half-conscious murmurings. Most of them are frantic pleas. I can’t make out most of it. But for three words he keeps saying – Obwan, Hoke and Padee. Does that mean anything to you?”

Bail felt his heart breaking in his chest. Thankfully Danok did not wait for his response.

“I can’t shake the feeling that the Emperor manipulated him somehow into being his enforcer. And if so, is it possible that he could be rehabilitated? Fixing his physical body and easing his pain alone would likely do much for his mental health. And our mind healers here are some of the best in the galaxy. Am I crazy Bail? For even thinking that he could be rehabilitated. You’re a smart man and if you tell me that for the sake of the galaxy I’m best to just let an accident happen I would respect your opinion.”

Bail let the question percolate and he tried to pick out the best option from the thousand ideas running through his mind. _Let him die for what he did_. _Let him die to keep Leia safe. There’s good in him. Padme would want him to be saved_. _Death was too good for Darth Vader_. _Anakin Skywalker could be a powerful ally._

“You don’t know what you are asking me old friend,” Bail replied softly. “I can’t answer you yet. I need to talk to him first.”

Danok looked surprised by this request. No doubt Danok thought him mad for wanting to see Darth Vader and risk being identified, and potentially putting them both in danger. But he had to know if what Danok said was the truth. He had to speak with the man himself. Danok seemed to sense his resolved and did not argue with him.

It was a short walk from Danok’s apartment to the medical facility and sooner than he would have liked Bail found himself outside Darth Vader’s doorway.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” asked Danok, no doubt noticing his shudder. Bail gave him a stern nod and the two men walked into the room together.

Bail was shocked when he saw Vader’s face. The scars were there, partially covered by bacta but they did not hide his identity. He saw Anakin Skywalker on the healer’s bed, not Darth Vader. The life support system that had previously covered his face was replaced by a small machine that fit in a small hole in his neck and was slowly raising his lungs up and down.

A moment after his eyes opened Bail saw the flicker of recognition in them and he waited for the other man to speak, his heart pounding in his chest.

“Senator Organa?” he gasped out breathily, his voice a mere whisper but hinting towards an outer rim accent. “Is that you?” he forced out, and Bail noted the relief in the other man’s tone.

“Yes, it’s me,” he replied. “Can you tell me what you remember?”

Anakin just shook his head. “I… I don’t remember,” he replied his words growing softer, the effort to speak tiring him. “How… Obi-Wan? Ahoska?” he managed to force out though his exhaustion was apparent.

Bail closed his eyes for a moment, grateful he did not ask about Padme. “They are alive,” he reassured him. “And you are safe here Anakin. Dr. Nefir is trying to help you.”

Anakin seemed calm as he closed his eyes. Bail quickly guestered to Danok and they found an empty lounge to speak. He could see that his friend had a million questions. 

“That’s the most calm he’s been since he’s gotten her,” his friend observed first, obviously waiting for Bail to elaborate on what he had just witnessed.

“Danok I don’t think you are mistaken. I think you can rehabilitate him,” he replied, wondering if he wasn’t making a huge mistake with the words. “But there’s something you need to know. He’s a fallen Jedi. And I was led to believe that could not be undone. I would advised you keep him alive but sedated until I return. I need to consult with an old friend.”


	2. The silence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obi-Wan visits Anakin in the hospital.

Aurora Medical Facility, Obroa-skai, 10 years, 7 days & 17 hours since the fall of the Republic

Obi-Wan stood outside Vader’s room for a very long time before he got enough courage to go inside. Bail had told him what had happened, that somehow the good doctor’s treatment had pulled Anakin from the wreckage that was Darth Vader. He had not believed it possible. Not until he arrived and felt his old friend’s presence in the force. The supernova of light that had been Anakin Skywalker dulled but present in the room next door. Obi-Wan also felt the darkness clinging at the edges and it made him shiver. He had almost told Bail that this was impossible, that darkness never let anyone go and that he ought to tell his doctor friend to let that medical accident happen. But Obi-Wan had to see this for himself. To see Anakin one more time. Even if it left him uneasy to be so far from Luke.

Obi-Wan walked in just as Anakin’s eyes started to flutter open, the doctor standing watch, ready to increase the anesthetic again if there were any issues. Obi-Wan saw the blue of Anakin’s eyes, the relief that flooded them when he looked at him and almost lost his resolve.

“Master?” Anakin choked out, and Obi-Wan savored hearing the words spoken in love and respect, not the cold mocking tone he had learned to associate with his former padawan. Obi-Wan sat down beside his friend’s hospital bed and grabbed his hand as he had so many times in the past. Seeing the action Dr. Nefir quietly excused himself.

“I’m here Anakin,” Obi-Wan comforted his friend, who smiled. A half smile, limited by the scars on his face. Scars he was responsible for.

“I was worried,” Anakin replied, “I don’t remember what caused… this.”

Obi-Wan knew Anakin was looking to him for answers, to tell him how he had suffered his injuries. But how could he tell his friend the truth? It would only hurt him more. So he smiled sadly and let Anakin keep talking, even though he could see that each word was a great effort.

“I remember, being deployed. Us and ‘Soka. I don’t remember.... Is she?”

Obi-Wan squeezed Anakin’s hand. 

“Don’t worry Anakin. Ahsoka is okay. You got your injuries in the last battle of the clone wars. They are extensive, but you did end the clone wars.”

Anakin looked shocked and then smiled at this, finally shutting his eyes again.

“Go to sleep now Anakin, you’re fight is over,” Obi-Wan reassured him, reveling in the peace of Anakin’s force presence. 

He lost himself in the soothing presence of Anakin for many minutes before he slowly increased the anesthetic pump up to full. 

“You won't be in pain anymore brother,” Obi-Wan soothed, slowly wrapped the oxygen tubing around his fingers.

“I won’t let you suffer anymore,” he whispered softly as the pressure of Anakin’s grip eased. 

Obi-Wan knew that Anakin would not have survived the truth.

The END


End file.
